Editor’s Note: In the lead-up to the 2026 NFL Draft, Phil Perry is identifying the best fits for the Patriots at each position based on the traits that Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf value, as well as intel from coaches and scouts.
We’ve already hit on offensive tackles, tight ends, edge defenders, wide receivers, defensive tackles and linebackers. Today’s installment: safeties.
When the Patriots made their first pick on Day 3 of the draft last year, Mike Vrabel immediately made it clear to his war room just how excited he was to have landed the player they landed.
Craig Woodson, a six-year safety out of Cal, was their choice. And though he was widely considered a later-round pick in media circles, Vrabel’s enthusiasm was ultimately rewarded. Woodson almost immediately slotted in as a well-rounded and instinctive starter on the back end of a defense that was the engine behind New England’s trip to the Super Bowl.
What attracted the Patriots to Woodson? He checked a number of boxes for a safety in Vrabel’s style of defense. As was the case with the three players who saw the most work for him at that position in Tennessee — new Patriots addition Kevin Byard, Kenny Vaccaro and Amani Hooker — he was versatile, showing an ability to play both in the deep part of the field and in the box. He was also athletic enough, tough enough and smart enough to handle everything loaded onto his plate.
At 6-feet and 200 pounds, Woodson had the frame to warrant being selected in the first four rounds, though he was a tad lighter than the safety trio Vrabel leaned in Tennessee (all checked in between 210 and 214 pounds as rookies). Those safeties all showed excellent lower-body explosiveness with vertical jumps of between 36 and 38 inches prior to being drafted, and all had the reactive quickness to thrive in multiple roles. All had adequate shuttle times of 4.2 seconds or less.
The Patriots already have a pair of versatile safeties under contract in Woodson and Byard, but adding a young do-it-all safety in the draft could make a lot of sense for Vrabel and his front office.
Who fits the mold in this class? Let’s take a look…
Day 1: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
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James Snook-Imagn Images Emmanuel McNeil-Warren has an affinity for contact and projects as a strong safety in the NFL.
McNeil-Warren had a 30 visit scheduled with the Patriots and is widely considered a potential first-round pick. Would the Patriots invest their No. 31 overall selection at this position? Seems like a long shot given the two starters they have in place. But McNeil-Warren is an intriguing talent who may be the third safety off the board on Day 1 (behind Ohio State’s Caleb Downs and Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman).
The 6-foot-4, 201-pounder is long and lean but has a clear affinity for contact. His best fit at the next level may be as more of a true strong safety. He’s not the fastest in the class at this position (4.52-second 40-yard dash), but his length and ball skills (nine forced fumbles in his career) make him an intriguing matchup option for tight ends in a scheme that asks its safeties to man up on the opposition in coverage.
Day 2: A.J. Haulcy, LSU
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Stephen Lew-Imagn Images A.J. Haulcy racked up 10 interceptions during his college career.
Haulcy bounced from New Mexico State to Houston before finally landing at LSU. His game translated at every level as an instinctive, well-rounded, splash-play generator on the back end. All City draft analyst Fran Duffy — a recent guest on the Next Pats Podcast — actually chose Byard as his comp for Haulcy.
The 6-foot, 215-pounder has the body type and attitude to function as an enforcer-type in the passing game and a legitimate factor in run support. But he also racked up 10 interceptions over the course of his career, making him a snug fit in a program where “ball disruption” is highly valued by the head coach.
Day 2: Zakee Wheatley, Penn State
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Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Zakee Wheatley is a strong pass defender who also isn’t afraid to get physical against the run.
Another reported 30 visitor to Foxboro, Wheatley is a fascinating study for this position.
Like McNeil-Warren, he’s long and lean (6-foot-3, 203 pounds) and unafraid of contact. But it would be fair to ask if his frame and playing style will lend themselves to longevity at the next level. His want-to in the run game can exhibit itself as over-aggressiveness at times, and his strength right now isn’t always able to live up to the mindset that puts him in some precarious, high-impact positions.
But if the Patriots want someone with the length to play the football down the field? Someone they feel can be a legitimate one-on-one cover man against tight ends? Wheatley might be a worthy third-round selection whose skills could complement Woodson’s for the foreseeable future.
Day 2: Bud Clark, TCU
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Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Bud Clark might have the best ball skills among safeties in this year’s draft.
Clark will be 25 years old next month, and he plays a position that is not among the most highly valued in today’s NFL, perhaps making it difficult for a team to feel comfortable using a Day 2 choice on him. But in a class where there’s plenty of uncertainty across the board, Clark brings real turnover-generating skills to the table.
He just may have the best ball skills at this position in the class, compiling 35 pass breakups and 15 picks in his career. His size (6-foot-1, 197 pounds) doesn’t allow him to be a true thumper from the third level, but he has a competitive demeanor and enough versatility as a slot-or-deep-safety option to help a team right away.
This three-year captain has some durability questions — he missed 14 games combined in four of the last five seasons — but he brings plenty to the table the Patriots would seem to appreciate.
Day 3: Kamari Ramsey, USC
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Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Kamari Ramsey was the Trojans’ on-field play-caller last season.
The Patriots have certain position-specific traits they like in the draft, but across positions there are broader qualities they hope are possessed by all of their picks. Among ’em? Selflessness. Being a good teammate matters to Vrabel’s staff, and Ramsey seems to check that box.
He played out of position last season in the slot, perhaps harming his draft stock in the process, because the Trojans needed him there. He did it without complaint, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. He was the on-field play-caller defensively for USC, indicating he has some coach-on-the-field traits, and he exhibited enough in the way of his football IQ to be an effective player from various alignments.
A good athlete (4.47-second 40, 36-inch vertical) at 6-feet, 203 pounds, Ramsey is another player in this group with durability concerns. But his intelligence and team-first mindset could make him a Day 3 option at One Patriot Place.
Day 3: Jakobe Thomas, Miami
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Melina Myers-Imagn Images Jakobe Thomas could be an intriguing special teams contributor at the NFL level.
Thomas plays like a ball of fire, which will make him the apple of someone’s eye on Day 3 when special teams come into focus. While that may be where the 6-foot-1, 211-pounder ends up making his greatest contributions early in his career, he shows big-play ability that could end up making him a good complementary option at safety.
That big-play — and more specifically big-hit — mindset can get him into trouble at times. And in coverage his aggressiveness can work against him. But even with areas to clean up in his game, his quick-trigger reactions helped him record 16 pass breakups and nine picks in his career.
For a team that has no shortage of Miami fans in the building, it’s not hard to see the Patriots taking a shot on a competitor like Thomas in the mid-to-late rounds.
Day 3: VJ Payne, Kansas State
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Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images VJ Payne posted one of the best Relative Athletic Scores in this year’s draft class.
Guys with Payne’s traits simply don’t grow on trees. A captain for the Wildcats, he checked into this year’s combine at 6-foot-3, 206 pounds and clocked a 4.40-second 40. His 9.74 Relative Athletic Score ended up being among the best in this year’s class across positions and a top-40 mark for draftable safeties since 1987.
His 6.94-second three-cone time won’t get the same level of attention as his straight-line 40, but that is indicative of true change-of-direction talent for someone with his length. Payne’s nearly 40-inch arms allowed him to stand out in spurts at the Senior Bowl with timely pass breakups, and if the Patriots want a tight end-eraser with real athletic upside, he’d be worthy of a selection on Day 3.
